Nama Yurushi
by kittykritik
Summary: Life in the modern era was more than taxing on a relationship for Inuyasha and Kagome; the consequences of their decision to live across the well are starting to threaten their very livelihood. Two mates struggle to fight for their safety while fighting to keep their love alive.
1. Shinpai

Welcome to Nama Yurushi, sequel to Raw Forgiveness!

If you haven't read Raw Forgiveness, I recommend that you do. This seamlessly flows from the last story, so I won't be explaining things that were talked about/explained before. Feel free to take a peak at this chapter to see if you like my writing, but don't read too much if you want to be surprised! Don't worry, I do believe you will enjoy it!

To those who have been with me for a while, welcome! As you can see, I'm a day late. I think I will start updating on Saturdays (who ever heard of being productive on a Friday night anyway?) because I either come home sick and exhausted or I have something going on. Is Saturdays alright with you guys?

Enough yapping. Enjoy!

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome Taisho were disgusting people.

Nasty, dirty, nauseatingly disgusting.

It wasn't like Mei didn't appreciate a place to live, a bed to sleep in, food to eat. Her opinion of Kagome had drastically changed; she wasn't some idiot, nagging wife. She really cared about Inuyasha and, for some reason, for Mei as well, and she only wanted to help everyone. They had had a couple brief conversations about whether she should try to go to the police, and even though the longer she stayed with the Taishos the longer she didn't want to file a report, she still appreciated the consideration Kagome showed.

But, she didn't get to talk to Kagome much lately. She was always in bed.

Three days had passed since she moved in with them, and out of those three days she had seen Kagome… once? Twice? She had seen Inuyasha a couple times, running downstairs to get food, running out the house to pick up food…

No, wait. She did see Kagome three times. Yesterday she accidently saw her running from the bedroom to the linen closet in nothing but a towel. She tried to cover up, but the towel was way too small. It was a sight she could have gone without.

It wasn't like Kagome wasn't beautiful, or she was displeasing to the eye. Mei had no problem being around or seeing other women's bodies, and Kagome was no exception. It was just… knowing and _hearing_ what those too had been doing for the past two days… all the _thumps_ on the walls, the _moaning_, the _dirty talk_…

Who had ever heard of putting a guest room right next to the master bedroom?!

Mei shivered in disgust as she sat at the head of her bed, arms wrapped around her knees and chin resting on her arms.

Having to hear and see all that she had witnessed with these two? Not enjoyable in the slightest.

Last night, however, the two of them announced their arrival home with the slamming of the front door and what sounded like Kagome stomping up the stairs. Inuyasha was calling after her, demanding, then pleading that she talk to him. She heard the master bedroom door slam after that, and to her surprise heard Inuyasha sigh from outside the door and go downstairs.

Mei was a bit baffled. The two of them had been so disgustingly happy before; whatever happened had to have been serious enough to re-smash the foundation they had started to build back on.

Or… maybe their foundation wasn't as strong as it looked in the first place.

There it was, the next morning. Mei was still in her room, staring off into space as normal, trying to remember what happiness felt like. It had been so long, there were few memories she could dig up to base the emotion off of.

She heard some commotion downstairs, and figuring it was Inuyasha in the kitchen, she decided to head down there. Her stomach was getting the best of her, and she wanted to help if Inuyasha was making breakfast again. His cooking skills were okay, but… questionable.

The banging got louder as the young lady came down the steps, as well as the grumbling, accompanied by a bit of colorful language. She debated retreated back to the guest bedroom, but decided against it. She had been up since 5 a.m. and her stomach was angry for it.

She reached the bottom of the steps and rounded the corner. "Inuyasha-san, what are you-"

At first, she thought she was looking at an intruder, and out of instinct she jumped back slightly. But it only took a couple seconds to figure out she was wrong.

Inuyasha stood at the counter, profile facing her. But instead of the long, thick mane of hair he usually had, silver cascaded down his back and on his shoulders. A set of ten pointed, dangerous claws shredded a bag of ramen, while another set seemed to scrape at the hardwood floor.

And atop his head were two… _dog_ ears swiveling in her direction and back towards the front.

Her entire body went numb when he turned to her, golden eyes seeming to pierce into her soul.

_Is he… he's a…_ Mei desperately reached for a coherent thought.

Inuyasha's face light with alarm. "What? What's going on?!" he said…

With fangs accenting his lips.

Mei barely registered the hand she brought up, pointing accusingly at him, trying to understand his frightening appearance. "You… you're wearing… a _costume_… right?"

Her words hardly made any sense to her, but they seemed enough to make Inuyasha look at her as if he'd been found out.

It wasn't a costume.

He was a demon.

She went momentarily deaf, registering that he was saying something but not hearing a word of it. She couldn't tell if she was standing or sitting, falling or fainting.

All she knew was that all demons who weren't kitsune were bad. They were angry at humans, and only wanted to take over the world and use humans for their slaves and meals. All demons who tried to look like humans were the most intelligent, and the most dangerous, demons in the world. They would look and sound like humans, but on the inside they were monstrous, blood-thirsty villains waiting to take her and everyone else's life.

After all… that's all she had been taught to believe.

Suddenly, he was closer to her than he was a second ago. She jumped back, protecting her weak human flesh from the demon she had let become close enough kill her, at time welcoming his presence while he lay in wait, taking his time before he slaughtered her.

Maybe that's why he wanted her to stay… to fatten her up and then serve her to Kagome for dinner.

Before she had time to register her own movements, she was out of the door.

* * *

"What are we going to do?!" Kagome exclaimed for maybe the tenth time, bare legs pacing the kitchen in panic and confusion.

"I… I don't know, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, face in his hands where he sat on the floor by the counter, ramen forgotten.

"How do we fix this, Inuyasha?! What will we do if those… people come and… and…"

Inuyasha looked up at his panicking mate for the first time since she started having her nervous breakdown. She looked completely frazzled, wringing her hands together, eyes darting around the room as if she could find the solution in the sink with the dirty dishes.

"We can handle this, Kagome," Inuyasha said finally, trying to soothe his crazed wife.

Kagome stopped. "No. No, we _can't_," she whined, tears in her eyes.

Inuyasha leapt from the floor, intent on stopping those tears before they progressed into an inconsolable tantrum. He reached her and tugged her arms, gently but firmly stopping the abuse on her hands and bringing her attention to him.

"Yes, we can. We've dealt with worse. We've dealt with my cover being blown plenty of times before. We've dealt with mobs of angry humans, mikos and monks trying to kill me. It'll be fine; we can handle this."

Kagome peered up at Inuyasha, eyes losing some of their frenzy, but still unbelieving. "No, Inuyasha. It's not the same! In those times, if someone was trying to kill you, you just kill them. You runaway and you stay away from that area and it's fine. But this isn't just some village that will be after you, Inuyasha. The entire country's militia will be on the lookout for you; we couldn't be able to just flee. We can't go anywhere that has Japan as an ally, or probably anywhere else where people won't be able to spot you! You have silver hair, for goodness sake, and they have your picture because of you work IDs. What are we going to do when they come to take you away from me?! What if they try to torture you, or they kill you, or -"

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's face and pressed his lips roughly into hers. It wasn't very comforting and pleasurable; it was meant to silence her.

When he pulled away, tears were streaming down her face.

Inuyasha hated the smell of her tears, but the smell of her fear was nauseating.

He kissed her again, briefly and gently trying to ease her pain.

"I don't know, Kagome. I don't know how we're going to get through this. But I promise you that whatever happens, I will protect you. If they come for me I will make sure that there is no way anyone will hurt you. If I have to fight till my death…"

For a moment, Kagome's brown eyes stared at him in wonderment, then a watery smile overtook her face. "That's… that's almost that same thing you said before we defeated Naraku…"

Inuyasha searched her eyes, realizing she was right. It was almost like they were back in his native forest, fighting for their lives, losing hope as they watched their comrades perish around them.

"Inuyasha, do you remember what I said back to you?"

Of course. He could never forget that.

"'I'd rather spend an eternity in hell than be without you.'"

It had hit him so fiercely in his chest, hearing those words and comparing their intensity to that of Kikyo's words every time she reminded him of his own promise to go to hell with her. Kagome's had been so full of life, so full of a love he had never felt when thinking about death.

It was in that moment that he knew he would mate her.

"And it's every bit of true now, Inuyasha, if not more. If you die, I will literally die with you. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

But, the thought of Kagome perishing because of him put such a sour taste in his mouth that he refused to think of it as a prospect. He pulled her body close to his, wrapping his arms protectively around her.

No. He had to live so that she could as well. He had to protect her.

Both deep in thought and distracted by the soothing smell of being close to one's mate, they didn't hear the car pull up to the front of the house, or any of the voices of the people approaching the door.

When the doorbell rang, both nearly jumped. They glanced at each other as they pulled apart, concern on their faces.

"I'll… I'll get it," Inuyasha muttered. Kagome nodded.

Inuyasha approached the door, half expecting someone to bust through it and attempt to take him away. Who knew how long it had been since Mei left? 10 minutes? An hour? 30 seconds?

Inuyasha sniffed as he approached the door, eyebrows scrunching when he realized he recognized the faint smell. He couldn't point from where though.

"This door needs a damn peephole…" Inuyasha muttered, grabbing the door knob.

He slowly opened the door, tense and alert, keeping all options of sabotage and surprise in mind. He could feel the anxiety of his mate behind him.

He peeked through the crack…

To see a shaggy head of dark hair.

"…Souta?" Inuyasha fully opened the door.

The boy, now appearing to have grown into a young man, stood proudly at the door with a grin on his face and an arm around the blushing girl standing beside him. He wore a bright blue polo shirt and khakis, pressed and studious-looking, and the shy girl beside him wore a flowy, green sundress.

"Inu-no-oniichan!" Souta exclaimed.

Kagome rushed to Inuyasha's side, slightly nudging him to move out of the way. Then, she stopped, eyes falling on her little, but taller, brother. "Souta…" she said, awe and nervousness overcoming her.

Souta's smile was sad as he looked at his sister, and he let go of the girl at his side. "Kagome-neechan… I missed you…"

Kagome's face reddened as her lip quivered and tears welled in her already-puffy eyes. They both approached each other at the same time, hugging each other fiercely, burying their faces in each other's shoulders.

Inuyasha smiled softly, watching the rare display of sibling love. And as Kagome's soft cries filled the silence, Inuyasha glanced at the girl that had appeared at the door with Souta. She looked near tears herself, but wore a smile of pure happiness as she watched the embrace. Her eyes gazed on knowingly, almost as if she knew that it had been so long since they had hugged, and even longer since he called her sister.

Longer than before he left for college. Longer that before they came back to the modern era.

Inuyasha's musings were cut off by the sound of a door closing from outside, the sound loud enough to distract Kagome and cause her to look out the door as well.

Souta, who obviously knew who had just exited the car, glanced from Kagome to Inuyasha sheepishly. "Uh… surprise!" He chuckled, nervously.

All Inuyasha had to see was the flash of silver hair, and a scowl overtook his face.

"Hello, little brother," the tall, almost unrecognizable man said, smirking.

Inuyasha looked the man up and down, taking in the dark washed jeans, the cream-colored and fitted blazer, the skinny red tie, the pale blue shirt, the aviator sunglasses and the long braid of shiny, silver hair.

"…_Half_-brother," Inuyasha growled.

* * *

She didn't know how long she had been running. All she knew was that she wasn't in the suburbs anymore.

People bumped past her as she slowed to a fast walk, glancing behind her, making sure Inuyasha wasn't following.

He might be hiding on top of buildings…

He might be peeking through store windows…

He might be blending in with the crowd, changing his appearance every time she tried to look for him…

That last thought had Mei looking at strangers with fear, searching for a reason to suspect them. They could all be demons! They could all be waiting to kill her!

With a whimper, she picked up her pace, not even hearing the cries of outrage from the bystanders she shoved in the process.

When she finally slowed and looked up, she realized she knew where she was.

"Oh, no…" she whimpered, recognizing the bar right down the road and seeing Kuro's car parked in front of it.

She immediately turned around and headed in the opposite direction, head down, trying to maneuver the people she was suddenly aware of on the street. It wasn't long before she bumped into someone.

The collision made her a bit off-balance, and as she was about to trip backwards a pair of strong hands caught her and steadied her before she could fall.

Flustered, Mei said, "I'm so sorr-" before looking up...

And seeing that it was Kuro that had her in his clutches.

"No!" Mei shrunk into herself, trying to pull away, but not being able to budge an inch.

Kuro gripped her arms painfully tight, pulling her closer. His expression would appear blank to anyone else, but Mei recognized the look on his face.

Pure rage.

"Shut up, you dumb bitch," He hissed at her, lips hardly moving, voice low. "Where the fuck have you been?!"

Mei said nothing and continued to struggle, trying to get away but to no avail. Kuro quickly got fed up with her struggling and released one arm to grip her hair.

"Ah!" she cried.

"Shut the hell up!" he hissed again. He turned her around and started to push her forward. "I'm going to kill you right now if you don't shut your sluty little mouth…" His whispers tickled her ear, sending shivers of terror down her spine. She realized that if she got in that car with him, she would never be a free woman again.

Mei stopped struggling then, frantically looking around to see if anyone saw what was going on. Anyone that could save her from what would ultimately be her demise.

No one was watching.

No one ever was.

With his hand fisted tightly into her hair, they marched toward the car.

"We are going to get in this car, and you're gonna get the shit beat out of you until you tell me where you were!"

He wouldn't wait until she tried to tell him. He would start the abuse before the words could come out of her mouth. Hit first, ask later.

As the car came into arm's length, she realized how this might look to anyone watching. His back so close to hers, her arm reaching back toward him, him reaching toward the passenger door to open it.

It might appear that he cared for her. That he wanted her to be safe. That he was chivalrous and had manners enough to walk her to the passenger door and open it for her. His face was probably schooled into a calm look while she tried to school hers, trying not to draw attention to them for fear of pain, but trying to catch the eye of the one or two pedestrians that passed by.

Before she could blink, she had been shoved into the car.

"Kuro, wait! Don't-"

He gave her a look that made her want to scream. She knew what it meant. She had been too loud; someone could have heard her. She would pay for it.

Kuro slammed the passenger door then stomped over to the driver's side, getting in with a grunt.

Mei took a few seconds to look at the man who had been beating her on and off for a year. Overweight, sweaty, greasy… clothes that he had probably worn the day before without washing… a permanent grimace on his face and a balding, shiny head of thin hair.

It was no wonder he wouldn't let her go… no woman had probably given him any attention since his mother.

He turned on the car and drove down the busy road. Mei frantically glanced from him to the people on the sidewalks, the land marks she could recognize. Where were they? Where were they going?

They stopped at a stop light and Kuro was silent for a few seconds, breathing deeply in anger. Then he sprang a hand to the side and gripped her thigh, painfully.

"Mmph!" Mei grunted.

Kuro gripped harder at her sign of pain, but stared straight ahead. "Bitch… you better start talking before I find a place to pull over…"

The words sprang forth. "I w-was at Inuyasha place! I was at Inuyasha's and, Ah! H-his wife was there and they l-let me stay for a few d-days."

Kuro roared for the first time since he grabbed her from the street. "You were at Inuyasha's house?! How dare you, you little whore?! You would just run to anyone's bed, wouldn't you?!"

"His wife-"

"You probably slept with that little brat that came to the club that night too, didn't you?! That's alright… that's fine, I got something for you, bitch…"

Mei knew she had to do something, or she wouldn't live to see anything past what he had for her.

"Inuyasha's a demon!"

She said it before she could stop herself. Shocked silence blanketed the next few moments before Kuro broke the silence.

"…What did you just say?" he asked, quietly.

Mei swallowed, although her mouth was completely dry. "I-Inuyasha is a demon. I saw him. He's some kind of demon."

Kuro said nothing for a while longer, and Mei realized they had ventured into a more rural area. He suddenly turned off a side road, surrounded by trees. He came to a stop some ways down the dirt path and stopped, turning the vehicle off.

They sat for a minute, Mei watching Kuro from the side of her eye, Kuro staring face forward.

Pain blossomed on her left cheek before she could register that he punched her. He hadn't struck her in the face the first time he hit her, wanting there to be little evidence. The sensation of the impact was a fresh and painful one.

Mei gripped her face, sobbing loudly, pressing as close to the passenger door as possible. She didn't try to escape, open the door and flee. She knew he locked it. He always did.

"That's only a fraction of what I'm going to do to you when we get home," Kuro hissed. "But I sure will go easy on you if you tell me the truth."

He turned to her, glaring straight into her non-partially swelling eye.

"Inuyasha is… a demon?"

Mei nodded profusely, desperate for him to believe her.

"And… you saw him… you saw him as a demon…?"

Mei nodded again, her sobs having quieted to soft whines.

Kuro sighed, then whistled. "A demon… no wonder that man could drink so much… it must have been that asshole that called the officials on me, had my place shut down! I haven't had a liquor license for years, and all of the sudden now it's a problem!"

Kuro turned to Mei, smirk on his face. "I'm not too mad though. You're about to make me a very rich man. I heard the cash rewards for finding a demon went up so high that they had to stop advertising… they better still be taking them, because if they aren't, or I find out Inuyasha is not a demon, you're dead. You hear me?"

Mei stared at him, still holding her eye, depression taking its toll. Because she knew in that moment that whether he got rewarded or not, he would never let her go. She would never escape. She would never be saved.

And it was only fitting that she remained trapped in his apartment, the place where the rest of her innocence died.

Regret and shame washed over her as the re-ignition of the car sealed her fate.

"Inuyasha… Kagome…" Mei whispered. "I'm sorry…"

* * *

So, what did you guys think?! If I ever wanted reviews, I really want them for this chapter. This is the beginning of a new saga for this story.

To those of you that were unsatisfied with how the last story ended, I hope this filled in the blanks and satisfied you. That last chapter was a cliff-hanger on purpose, and I'm not sure everyone understood that. I wasn't completely satisfied with how I wrote it, but it ended correctly on my end.

And, btw, did any of you guess right? Sesshomaru as a professor has been done before, I know, but he has some surprises I don't think you'll expect.

I look forward to starting this new part of the rawfor universe with you all!


	2. Hōyō

I'll tell my story after you read this story. And it is interesting, so please do read...

* * *

Kagome was severely concerned for the survival of her mate.

He stood there, eyes wide enough for his pupils to hide partially behind his unruly bangs. Thick, sinuous veins protruded from the tense muscles in his arms and fists. A trickle of blood began to slip through his clenched fingers and his mouth hung open wide enough to show he wasn't breathing.

_He wasn't breathing._

"Uh… S-Sesshomaru…" Kagome started, voice shaking, bewildered by her own minuscule sense of calm in a potentially catastrophic situation. She could feel the barrage of emotions emanating from Inuyasha, and the mixture of anger, shock, disgust, and a hint of fear was making Kagome visibly tremble. "I think… it would be best…"

"Let him go, sensei!" Souta exclaimed, a smirk on his face that opposed all other expressions in the room. "You're freaking both of them out! What are you thinking, hugging him like that? Are you trying to give them a heart attack?"

Sesshomaru chuckled, smiling a smile so unlike the one from 500 years ago. The smile that would most certainly be followed by torture and slow, painful death.

No, Kagome realized. This was a smile full of actual joyful emotion, with a mixture of nervousness and sadness.

Just the thought of Sesshomaru possessing any of these emotions, much less showing them, was enough to make Kagome's head spin.

_Kiyomi was right. Sesshomaru… _changed_._

"I can't help it! I missed my little brother," Sesshomaru said, happily squeezing Inuyasha tighter, seeming to enjoy Inuyasha's discomfort as much as the hug he was forcing him into.

Inuyasha's face was starting to take a purplish-green shade.

His nausea seemed to develop two-fold in Kagome, and she wavered on her feet. "Sessh…" she said faintly.

Souta leapt from his seat, all humor gone. "Hey… Kagome, you alright?"

Kagome's sight blurred and she tried to tell Souta she was okay, but she wasn't sure the words came out correctly.

"Kagome!" she heard Inuyasha call, as well as exclamations from someone else in the room. She wasn't sure who.

Because she was falling, and the voices got quieter, and eventually all sight and sound were gone.

* * *

"Get out! Get the fuck out of my house!"

Inuyasha had shoved Sesshomaru off of him the moment he finally felt the unease of his mate. He was so absorbed in his own shock and desire to kill and destroy that he didn't notice that his intense emotions were affecting his temporarily fragile mate.

When Sesshomaru barged past Souta and his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around Inuyasha, he immediately went into defense. For most of Inuyasha's life, the closest Sesshomaru had ever come to touching him was using his acidic claws to rake across his skin in combat, or use those same claws to viciously impale him in the stomach.

But when his initial disbelief gave him enough time to realize Sesshomaru's aura was without any ill intent, Inuyasha had no idea what to do with himself. He had completely forgotten anything Kiyomi said about Sesshomaru (he wasn't really listening to that part anyway), so any contact with Sesshomaru shy of violence was a bolt of electricity to his senses. He didn't know whether to throw up or start swinging, and the possibility of both had been very strong until he sensed Kagome's dizziness.

He was sure he must have looked ferocious, eyes red and claws extended when he ran to catch her before she hit the ground. Hitomi looked positively terrified as she curled into the corner of the sofa across from him, and Souta sat on the edge of the cushion next to her, concern and a bit of his own trepidation clear on his face.

Sesshomaru stood nearby, hand behind his head, looking sheepish.

_Sheepish!_

And none of that mattered, none of that came close to mattering more than his unconscious mate lying in his arms.

Or the fact that it was all Sesshomaru's fault.

"I said get the fuck out!"

Sesshomaru smiled nervously. "I really do apologize, Inuyasha," he said, momentarily catching Inuyasha off guard with the use of his actual name. "I should have been more careful… too much excitement isn't healthy for her condition."

"You're damn right, ya' bastard!" Inuyasha couldn't help the malicious growl that erupted behind those words when he realized Sesshomaru was _aware_ of her condition and didn't pay attention. He knew she wasn't seriously hurt, but the fact that Sesshomaru did anything to cause her discomfort was enough to enrage him into battle.

And although he knew he couldn't win a fight with Sesshomaru in the past, and 500 more years would only ensure he would never make it out alive…

"If I get out of this fucking chair I will kill you for hurting what's _mine_!"

He would sure as hell try.

And just like a puff of clean air blown into his haze of fury, Souta's words cleared his mind only a little.

"Wait… what… _condition_?"

Inuyasha glanced at the pup-turning-man and rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Damn it…" he growled.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat, turning to a visibly apprehensive Souta. "Your sister is pregnant."

Inuyasha's growling increased, "It was supposed to be a fucking surprise, you-" He paused, feeling his mate stir in his arms.

They all stilled as she moaned softly, frowning.

Souta broke the silence with a whisper. "Does… does she know?"

Inuyasha said nothing, shaking his head absently as he watched his mate's eyes flutter. He barely registered Souta's exasperated sigh, calming as Kagome's sparkling eyes finally met his.

Kagome looked concerned, and her concern only grew as she looked at her mate. "Inu… wha… what happened…?"

Inuyasha tried to smile at her, trying to ease her anxiousness. "You fainted, koi, that's all. You were just… overwhelmed." Inuyasha sent a searing glance in Sesshomaru's direction. "Too much _excitement_."

Kagome frowned. "Excitement…? That… that's weird. Why would I…" Kagome glanced around the room, her eyes landing on Souta. "What's wrong with him?"

Inuyasha looked up at Souta, who was completely slumped in the chair, Hitomi hovering over him trying to do anything short of shaking him to get him to calm down.

"I guess it was too much excitement for him too?" Inuyasha shrugged, dismissing it, but Kagome didn't seem to buy it.

She narrowed her eyes at her mate, scrutinizing his words and determining them false. "You're not telling me something…" She moved to sit up and Inuyasha allowed her to lift her head from his lap and lean against the back of the couch as he murmured about taking it easy. She ignored him. "You're not telling me something, and you've been hiding it for a while, Inuyasha. At least two days. You seemed like you were going to tell me, so I let it go, but now…" She glanced at the faces around the room. "It seems like everyone knows but me. What's going on?"

Inuyasha half smiled at his mate. "I haven't really been hiding it… just waiting for the right moment to tell you. I wanted to tell you this morning, but-"

Kagome suddenly gasped, hands flying to her mouth, effectively putting everyone back on edge after her first scare.

"Am... am I pupped?" she whispered, gaping eyes bearing her anticipation and hope, disbelief positively pouring from her aura.

Inuyasha completely smiled then, reaching a clawed hand to hers and gently guiding it from her cheek, cradling it in her lap. "Yes, mate. We're… we're finally having pups…"

Kagome's expression froze, and while her aura had shifted to match her new emotion, her expression seemed to be stuck with trying to figure out which emotion to exude first.

It chose pure joy.

Kagome pounced at her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck and squealing in elation, trembling again for an entirely different reason.

Inuyasha chuckled, feeling the happiness and relief that she carried all throughout his body, feeling delightfully weightless despite her form on top of his.

Neither knew why it took so long for them to get pregnant, but they were now certain it was because the strength of their bond had never in five years been as good as it was right then. Even in the short days before they left the Feudal Era, they had an amazing bond, but it was too new to be considered strong, and they didn't expect pregnancy that early.

But their bond didn't seem to strengthen much when they arrived in her time. The stress of dealing with a new, unfamiliar life often put Inuyasha on edge, and the boredom and disappointment that came with Kagome's new home life made both of them feel… lacking.

Their inexperience with mating and all it entailed made them believe that regardless of their relationship, a pup would be born. It wasn't like they didn't have plenty of sex; anytime during that first year would have made sense for Kagome to get pregnant. But when it didn't happen, they wordlessly determined that something was wrong.

Kagome went to a doctor to see if she may be the problem, but was given a clean bill of health. Inuyasha obviously couldn't go to the doctor, so hearing that she wasn't the problem made both of them believe that… he was. Kagome never blamed him or held it over his head; he did enough of that for himself. In his time, if they hadn't gotten pregnant for even a year, one of them would have been seen as not strong enough to be mated with, or simply seen as a mating that never should have happened.

And that frankly tore him up inside. It was months, almost years before he could let it go.

But when Inuyasha sniffed his wife and smelled… _offspring_ for the first time, he knew it was never entirely his fault. He knew that it was equally their doing for trying to get pregnant without a strong enough bond; apparently the bond would refuse to let a pregnancy develop if the mates weren't strong enough to have one.

And that frankly… overjoyed him.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whimpered, tears welling in her eyes, grin taking root in her cheeks. "We're finally having a baby… a family! I'm so happy, I could cry!"

Inuyasha laughed again. "You are crying, mate," he said, wrapping his arms around her trembling form, holding her as close as possibly, breathing in the scent of her happiness and his family in his arms.

It couldn't get any better than this, this perfect moment when he knew he was finally doing something right, that he was taking part in his mate's happiness and not the reason she was hurt. He felt giddy, amorous, excited…

"Congratulations, little brother!"

And suddenly, pissed off.

When Kagome jumped up slightly from Inuyasha at hearing his brother's words, Inuyasha leapt from the couch, anger blazing once again, ready to give Sesshomaru a piece of his mind. But Kagome's words stopped him.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, throwing a hand in the air and squinting at the taller brother. "Sesshomaru… were you just… _hugging_ Inuyasha?"

Sesshomaru, still smiling a seemingly genuine smile, nodded and said, "Yes, Miss Kagome, I was in fact hugging my brother."

"_Half_-brother!" Inuyasha interjected.

Kagome's lips quirked into a tiny smile, appraising the statuesque male for the first time since he came through the door.

Though he was as tall as she remembered, not much else about him was the same. His hair seemed to be his own, but it was short and a bit choppy, as if it had been styled to look messy, but still be endearing. He kept his hair the shining, luscious silver that it always had been, but his eyes… he seemed to be wearing contacts. His eyes were a brown so dark that it could be black, and they stuck out rather contrast to his hair. He didn't keep his clothes nearly as neat as he once did, his royal blue button up shirt slightly wrinkled and his sleeves rolled to his elbows with the top two buttons undone. He was still gorgeous and regal, but... something was different.

His markings were all gone, his claws hidden, which was to be expected. Kagome couldn't help but wonder how he was hiding them, though.

Then she realized the largest change in Sesshomaru: his demeanor. He was towering over her from where she sat on the couch, but she didn't feel the familiar _small_ feeling she would get whenever he was around, the feeling he seemed so intent on invoking in whoever he was in the company of. He seemed humble… happy… a lot less depressing and whole a lot more relaxed.

And instead of the pride and superiority that used to emit from his eyes, Kagome saw… wisdom.

And a bit of hope. For what, she wasn't sure.

"You really are different, Sesshomaru," Kagome said, softly, gazing into his knowing eyes for the first time. "You've changed."

The look in the elder brother's eyes became one of relief and happiness, and he grinned at his sister-in-law. "You always were incredibly perceptive, Miss Kagome."

Inuyasha, who had been watching from the sidelines, still steaming, could have gone into a fit of rage when he saw his brother and his mate gazing at each other in a way that could be mistaken for many different things if he didn't know any better, but that reaction would have been him 6 years ago when they were not mated. Now, he could feel his mate's slight admiration, joy and apprehension as she looked at his brother, simply noticing him for the first time. It forced Inuyasha to truly notice him too, seeing that while his appearance hadn't changed, there were differences in him that would have been noticed long before had he not _embraced_ him.

And _that_ was a factor he wasn't ready to let go of.

"Who cares if he's changed or not?!" Inuyasha exploded, effectively breaking the uncomfortably tender moment. "You come _barging_ into my house, hu… hu… _putting your hands_ on me, and making Kagome _pass out_ 'cause you seem to have grown out of having any _self-control-_"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, cutting his tirade short before it really got started. "Will you get over it, already? I'm fine!"

Inuyasha frowned, upset that she wasn't on his side. "You were unconscious a few minutes ago! How do you expect me to react?!"

"I _expect_ you to stop being so rash and see that your brother wasn't _trying_ to cause any harm!" Kagome responded at equal volume and intensity.

"Like hell, he wasn't! He knew what would happen if he came in here and did that; he wanted to throw me off or something like he always did, the bastard!"

Kagome gasped. "_Really_, Inuyasha?! If you would just look at him for two seconds you can tell that wasn't his intention. You're always jumping conclusions and getting mad for no reason!"

"_I_ jump to conclusions?!" Inuyasha mocked. "Wasn't it you that started _jumping to conclusions_ when we talked to that woman? Wasn't that the _whole reason_ we were fighting before Mei left? Because _you_ were jumping to conclusions?"

Kagome gaped at him. "No, you _baka_! I wasn't upset about anything that didn't happen right in front of me in that office! So, once again, _you_ are jumping to conclusions!"

The three other occupants of the room looked on as Inuyasha sputtered and tried to find a response, not really wanting any part of the argument, but wishing for it to end just as badly. Sesshomaru, who watched with discerning eyes, broke the cycle of hostility.

"Oh, I see…"

Kagome and Inuyasha swung to glare at him, irritation clear on their faces.

When Sesshomaru didn't continue right away, Kagome gave a polite, but slightly impatient, "What? What is it?"

Sesshomaru tucked both hands in his pockets and smirked at the couple, studying them for a moment before he said, "You two… have been having problems."

Kagome blushed and Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so what, smart ass?"

Sesshomaru moved to sit in the remaining spot on the couch next to Souta, then leaned back with his arms thrown over the back of the chair in a position that Kagome and Inuyasha weren't expecting of him quite yet. "That is why it has been so long and Kagome has not been pupped. You have yet to be fully mated."

That certainly perked their attention. "What do you mean, Sesshomaru?" Kagome said first. "We have been mated for five years."

Sesshomaru shook his head minutely, a slight crease in his forehead as he seemed to study them more. "No… no, you have only been bonded. You have yet to reach the final stage of your mating, and you've only just reached the middle stage. That's why you've only just gotten pupped."

Kagome and Inuyasha glanced at each other, surprise and sadness in their expressions.

Sesshomaru frowned further. "You… you were not aware of this?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, neither of us was. I sort of figured it out when I smelled the pups, but-"

"Pups?" Kagome interrupted, appearing as if she just realized something. "You keep saying pups… are… is there more than one baby?"

Inuyasha smiled softly at Kagome, noticing for not the first time that she had the ability to change his mood in an instant. "Yeah, mate. There's two of 'em."

Kagome bit her lip, gazing at her mate with watery eyes. "Oh, Inuyasha…" They both could sense the nervousness through their bond, but neither was sure who the emotion started with. Both were extremely happy and extremely worried.

Kagome suddenly flew from the couch. "I have to call Toshiko!" she exclaimed and she ran into the kitchen.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and looked Inuyasha.

"Yeah… that's her best friend," Inuyasha muttered, a bit bitterly.

Sesshomaru's expression didn't change. "And… you dislike this woman?"

Inuyasha scowled. "She's kitsune…"

Both eyebrows shot up then. "And… you dislike kitsune?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Naw… mostly just this one. She's a bit more… _catlike_ than most I've met."

Sesshomaru nodded in understanding then. "I see." After a moment of silence only filled with the faint noises of Kagome's excitement in the other room, Sesshomaru spoke again. "I suppose… it is not odd that Miss Kagome would gravitate toward another kitsune. Was she not distraught by the passing of that kitsune child all those years ago?"

Inuyasha's eyes shot open in surprise, then narrowed in sadness.

Shippo…

The murder of Shippo had been a particular blow to both their hearts, one that took Kagome too long to move on from. There were many nights in the year after they moved to the modern era that she would call out Shippo's name in the night, reaching for him. She would usually find Inuyasha there instead, and would either stay asleep and be satisfied that she embraced a Shippo that wasn't there, or would wake up and proceed to sob for most of the night.

And while Inuyasha hadn't always gotten along with the kit, and he had seen and felt many types of grief in his lifetime, losing Shippo was like losing a little brother he never got to appreciate. And for a couple of those nights, some of his tears would join hers.

_You never deserved to die like that, Shippo. You shouldn't have even been out there. No kid deserves to die like that…_

The room stilled in silence, all others present seeming to understand the need for it. Souta, who was mostly confused, looked on at his brother-in-law and could almost feel the grief he still had.

A warm hand reached for his and he looked up into the comforting eyes of his girlfriend. She was just as confused as he was, but seemed to want to comfort him instead.

He smiled gently at her, then turned back to Inuyasha, sighing.

Souta then realized that there was much he didn't know about his own sister, and while he got to travel away and deal with his emotions, there was a strong chance that Kagome hadn't gotten over much of anything that had happened to her.

_And for me to blame her for mother's death… that had to have been a particular blow that didn't help with the grief she was already dealing with_, Souta thought.

Souta's eyes widened.

_Kagome… she's lost almost everyone dear to her. All her friends from the past, mother, grandpa… she probably thought she lost me too. Inuyasha is probably all she thinks she has, and if the two of them were fighting…_

Souta slowly shook his head, causing Hitomi to tighten her hand around his in puzzlement.

_No_, Souta decided. _Kagome has always been so sociable and nice. Surely she has plenty of friends that she has made over the last few years that she can lean on and talk to when life is rough. _

Souta peered toward the kitchen, listening to his sister talk about a baby shower to Toshiko.

_Kagome has always been a solid rock. She couldn't have crumbled that much while I was gone…_

_Right?_

* * *

__Yes, I have not forgotten. I am back.

There is so much that has happened in my life that kept me from you all. I moved to another city, helped my mother move the same weekend, got my bachelor's degree, and had a birthday (and not a happy one). I found out my father, who has been divorced from my mother for three months, is now engaged to a woman he's been dating for three months. I don't have a car, so it took me three car rides from family to get my things to my new place. Oh, and I got two new hermit crabs to be friends with my first two, and they've been fighting with each other.

Looking for a second job and a place to live and then moving to said place takes up a lot of your mind space. And yes, my father's problems are not mine, but he really made me angry. You wouldn't have wanted to read about two angry, frustrated, sad characters in this chapter, would you?

Hm? Oh... they were angry, frustrated and sad? Oh my... I'm sorry...

My stories write themselves, and though they don't directly reflect my life, my emotion sometimes gets trapped in there.

The next chapter is almost finished, so be ready for that next weekend.

Thank you all that reviewed and took the time to tell me how you feel about the story. I really love to hear from you, so please review. Critique or words of encouragement, I love it all.

mew...


	3. Ato

This is the longest chapter I have ever written for this story. Forgive me for skipping a week?

* * *

"AH!"

The squeal was certainly alarming, but completely understood as Inuyasha realized that it was Toshiko _and_ his mate that had made the noise at the front door and were currently embracing and jumping up and down.

He grimaced. His ears would certainly still be ringing later.

He turned to examine his brother and saw an expression that he was sure matched his own.

When Sesshomaru's eyes focused on his, he asked, "Do they scream like that often?"

Inuyasha wanted to say yes, they would often greet each other in that breed of annoying joyfulness and celebration.

But, that wasn't true. They usually didn't have much to celebrate.

Inuyasha chose not to answer.

They had decided to sit down and talk over takeout; it was around lunch time and most of them hadn't eaten breakfast. Kagome wanted to make a large meal, but not only did they not have enough groceries, but Inuyasha wouldn't let her strain herself, to which she told him that it was perfectly fine for her to strain herself in the bedroom.

That shut up a red-faced Inuyasha, but sensing his embarrassment she decided to be a good mate and do what he said, and ordered a special bowl of his favorite ramen just for him.

Then, they could all finally catch up. Inuyasha wasn't looking forward to it. Sure, he was happy to hear about how college was for Souta, and he was at least a tiny bit curious as to how Sesshomaru exchanged wanting to kill him for wanting to hug him. But he wasn't looking forward to explaining to Sesshomaru just how he knew his ex-fiancé.

He was sure all the niceties would fly out the window.

He would deal with his discomfort, though. He would deal with awkward, life-threatening conversations into infinity for his mate.

He would do anything so that she was never unhappy again.

While they were waiting for the food and Toshiko, who had invited herself, Sesshomaru tried to explain what they had been missing from their mating all these years. It was almost too much to take in.

* * *

"A mating has a few stages," Sesshomaru began, leaning back in his chair with one leg crossed on the other. "The ones you are familiar with are the first and second stages. The marking is simply the bonding of the two souls. Anyone can mark someone else, and not necessarily for mating reasons. You can mark someone who is not your kin to symbolize their joining your pack, or you can mark someone you intend to mate in the future, but cannot at the time for whatever reason. You will still always be bonded to that person, but the bond can be broken overtime when one of those bonded feels they are betrayed by the other. It is not something to take lightly, however; the process is painful for all those involved."

Kagome and Inuyasha gave each other knowing glances then, recalling their time apart.

"Of course, the second step is the consummation of the mating. Most demons combine the marking and consummation stages to ensure their bond is strong since the consummation stage ties the two together as actual mates. The difference is a bit harder to explain, as I have never experienced it, but the bond is much stronger and more permanent. Separation after this point could kill those involved.

"The next two stages are more… bonding-related than action-related. Let me ask you, Inuyasha. After you mated, were you strongly compelled to find some place to hideaway, to protect your mate and stay hidden from the world for a long period of time?"

Inuyasha frowned a little, then glanced at Kagome, who was looking a bit ashamed. "Yeah, actually. We hunkered down in an abandoned hut for a few days. I wanted to stay much longer, but Kagome was eager to go see the last of our friends and return to the modern era…"

Sesshomaru nodded. "Hm… it is how I guessed it then. Most demons spend weeks hidden away after mating. In the Feudal Era, lower demons would find caves and hope for their safety. Dai-youkai like myself would simply stay in their homes or fortresses, temporarily firing servants and anyone else who may intrude; we become very territorial during that time.

"These days, most demons who wish to mate live in Seikatsu-mura, which is a neighborhood created by the Ki-"

"We know all about the place and the kitsune society," Inuyasha interrupted, waving an irritated hand. "You don't gotta explain it to us."

Sesshomaru frowned, eyes wide and glancing from Kagome to Inuyasha's faces. "Really? Who told you? Most demons don't know of its existence."

Inuyasha's froze. After a moment, Kagome answered for him. "A friend told us. Please proceed."

Sesshomaru, obviously sensing something was amiss, decided to continue. They would explain in due time.

"Yes, well… mated demons tend to move there when it is time for them to mate. The time it takes to bond in this way usually costs them their jobs in modern society. Most demons you may meet besides kitsune are either already mated and have been for some time, don't desire to mate with anyone, or they have chosen life outside Seikatsu-mura over having a mate."

"So which are you, huh?" Inuyasha interjected. "You mated?"

Sesshomaru stilled, then a slow fanged smile graced his lips. "You can scent that I am not mated, little brother. Have some patience; we are talking about you two right now.

"As I was saying, that stage of the mating should take time. Kitsune are the only ones who are able to keep employment since they have adapted so well and they are the only demons that society recognizes. They are usually given two weeks with pay and two weeks working part-time, which they have adapted enough to work with. I, however, have noticed that kitsune mates don't seem to be as strong as other demons I have seen, give or take a few exceptions.

"The final stage is much longer, and it usually simply happens over time. The two individuals have gone back to their lives and try to continue spending time together, bonding and becoming in tune with each other. It can be weeks, months or even years before the bond reaches this stage, but I have heard that it is almost like two bodies sharing one soul. There are very few cases I have heard of where it never happened; the bond is always thirsty to become stronger and will try to bring them together until it is an unstoppable force."

Sesshomaru sighed, expression wistful. "In all my years I have seen truly formidable bonds, the strength of which almost felt a different, deadly energy, one that would destroy you if it felt challenged. It is the way all bonds should be."

* * *

The knowledge hurt even worse. All the mistakes they had made, all the time they had wasted. If they had spent more time together after they mated Inuyasha wouldn't have had to guess what Kagome really wanted from life, he would have known. They wouldn't have been so… unhappy. They wouldn't have spent so much time unsatisfied with their lives, with their bond, with each other.

Inuyasha didn't blame Kagome any more than he blamed himself. They didn't know, they weren't aware of the degree of the damage they were creating for themselves. Sure, they realized all the fighting wasn't exactly helping, but this was far worse.

_I should have known that when I felt so disconnected from her something wasn't right,_ Inuyasha thought. _All that random stuff about how mating was supposed make each other feel in tune didn't add up; he spent most of his time not knowing what the heck was on her mind._

They had cheated themselves. Hopefully, soon, they would make up for it.

* * *

"Okay, Toshi-chan," Kagome said sternly, contrasting the beaming smile on her face. "I know you still don't like Inuyasha and I know you're excited to meet everyone, but I really need you to keep a clamp on that mouth of yours."

Toshiko's giddy grin slumped to a frown. "Hey, no fair. I'm not that bad, am I?"

Kagome gave her a knowing look. "For your sake, I'm not going to answer that. I'm just trying to make sure there are no interruptions. It's been so long since I've seen both of them and I really want to hear everything my brother and Sesshomaru have to say."

Toshiko raised a hand to her forehead in salute. "Aye, aye, Captain Preggers!"

Kagome giggled and grabbed Toshiko by the hand, leading her the short way into the kitchen where everyone was seated around the table, looking very unpleasant. Everyone except Inuyasha tried to change their expressions when the two of them entered, making Kagome wonder what exactly was going on while she was greeting her friend.

"Everyone," Kagome announced. "This is my best, and only, friend who I could never live without: Toshiko."

Sesshomaru stood, and Souta followed suit, though he seemed a bit distracted, his cheeks a little redder than normal. Inuyasha didn't even look up.

Kagome ignored him. "Toshi, this is my little brother, Souta."

"Hi, Souta!" Toshiko waved.

"H-hey…" Souta waved back nervously, blushing more.

"This is Hitomi, his girlfriend."

"Hello, Hitomi!" Toshiko greeted.

"Hi…" Hitomi seemed uncomfortable as she was sending glances in Souta's direction.

Gesturing, Kagome continued. "And this is my brother-in-law, Sesshomaru, who I'm still in shock that I'm seeing right now."

Hitomi opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to choke on her words. Sesshomaru gave her a knowing smile as she reached for something to say.

"It is… an honor to meet you, Sesshomaru-sama. I have heard so much about you."

Kagome frowned, turning to her friend, who was staring intently at Sesshomaru, slightly blushing. "What do you mean? I haven't told you much about him."

Hitomi shook her head. "Kitsune make it their business to… inform their children of demon history, including dai-youkai. I learned about Lord Sesshomaru's legacy before I was 45 years…"

"Mostly good things, I hope?" Sesshomaru reached, though he looked as if he knew the answer to his own question.

Toshi opened her mouth to respond, closed it, then opened it again. "Well… the lessons focused more on your strength and lordship… battles and decrees and all that… we didn't go into that much of your personal history…"

Sesshomaru nodded, sighing. "Yes, well… I suppose you received the best sides of me during that time. Good. I strongly dislike bad first impressions, and I've had many of them in my time."

Toshiko moved to sit at the table, Kagome to sit between her and Inuyasha. "I'm sure you've experienced I lot that we have no idea about, with everything that you've lived through."

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Let us not get into my story quite yet; it is much too long for me to consider telling it now. What of you, Toshiko-san? How did you come to meet Kagome?"

Toshiko glanced at Kagome, smiling. "Oh," she chuckled a bit, causing Kagome to giggle as well. "We literally ran into each other at the grocery store. We always laugh about how it seemed like a scene from a movie or something."

* * *

"Move it before I eat you!" Toshiko yelled, throwing the threat she gave all humans she didn't like at the dark-haired woman blocking her way down the grocery aisle. She didn't have time for some frightened little human to be in her way; it was almost dinner time.

The woman looked genuinely shocked that Toshiko had dramatically and purposely crashed her cart into her, and for a second Toshiko felt a twinge of guilt for thinking she had ill-intent.

What she didn't expect was for the woman's pretty, shocked face to contort into anger. "I was on the aisle first!" she exclaimed, pointed backwards.

Toshiko recovered fast, shoving her cart further into the other. "And then I got on the aisle, which means you should have moved when you saw me coming, human!"

The woman threw her hands in the air. "So you think you're better than me? What, because you're a demon?"

Toshiko was beginning to think she wasn't as serene as she had looked a moment ago. She was obviously a bit insane.

"I don't need to explain to you why that's obviously true. Why don't you just move the hell out of my way?" Toshiko growled through clenched teeth.

The woman moved closer to Toshiko, grabbing her cart and causing Toshiko to bare her fangs at her. "I've met some very nice kitsune since I've been here, but then I've met ones just like you: demons who think they're better than everyone just because they're stronger and have more power. I've dealt with demons far more powerful than you, and I'm not afraid of you one bit! So why don't you just shut up and lift your cart a little bit so we can both leave; your wheel is keeping mine from moving!"

Toshiko didn't really focus on the weirdness of anything she said and advanced closer to the woman, face looming over hers, snarling. "I could rip your pretty little throat out…"

"I'll rip one of those fangs out and where it as a necklace."

The stand-off was intense, both unwilling to back down. Toshiko studied the woman's face for a moment, noticing small scars that didn't fit her appearance, noticing the strength in her expression. She vaguely recalled a time in grade school where she could remember fighting other kitsune with that expression on their faces, kitsune she had defeated and been defeated by.

And when she realized she was comparing a demon's war-like countenance to the look this woman was giving her, she couldn't help but smile.

When the smile gave way to a chuckle, the woman backed away a bit, alarmed. "What's so funny?!"

Toshiko grinned, still laughing. "You! You looked like you wanted to kill me!"

The woman's expression slowly relaxed, and for a moment she simply stared in disbelief. Then mouth inched up into a smirk.

When Toshiko finally got all the chuckles out, she held her hand out. "Toshiko," she said.

The cautious woman glanced from the outstretched hand to her face, then thrust hers out to grasp it. "Kagome," she responded.

Toshiko nodded, shaking her hand. "Kagome… I like you, Kagome. You're a brave human. Stupid, but brave."

An eye-brow arched, but then she seemed to relent to the statement. "Yeah… you really could rip me to shreds if you wanted to."

They both giggled and proceeded to block anyone else from passing them in the aisle as they chuckled and chatted until a store attendant asked them to kindly move to a more open area.

* * *

"I had been so used to dealing with humans that were afraid of me, and mating my husband didn't change that, so meeting Kagome was a breath of fresh air."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I certainly know the feeling; I had similar occurrences before going into hiding, one in particular with Miss Kagome here that was especially memorable."

Toshiko leaned forward in her seat across from him. "Oh, really? Tell me more-"

"Would you two shut up?!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "I do not want to hear this bullshit right now!"

"_Inuyasha_!" Kagome hissed.

"No, Kagome!" Inuyasha retorted. "You haven't seen your brother in years; who cares what they have to say!"

Kagome began an indignant response when Sesshomaru held up a hand. "He is right. I apologize, I have been rude."

"Yeah, I did exactly what uh… what you asked me not to do…" Toshiko looked down at her twiddling fingers.

"It's okay, you guys," Kagome said. "Really. Whenever Souta wants to talk, he can."

Souta cleared his throat, sitting up in his chair. "Um… I guess I'll…" He scratched the back of his head, looking nervously at all the eyes now on him. "I, uh…"

"You don't have to do this, Souta," Kagome said, reassuringly. "We can talk another time, just you and me…"

Souta looked her in the eyes, a bit apprehensive. He glanced around the room again, a boyish-looking blush coloring his cheeks. "Uh…" he cleared his throat again. "Yeah… maybe later…"

Inuyasha exasperatedly threw his hands into the air. "Are you serious? Did we all come sit at the table to hear Sesshomaru talk?!"

Kagome slowly turned toward Inuyasha, eye twitching. "These… are our _guests_, Inuyasha…" she growled through clenched teeth. "Show a little _hospitality_."

Sesshomaru interrupted before a cautious-looking Inuyasha said something even more reckless. "Well… I honestly would like to know about your experiences after your permanent travel here."

Two shocked faces whipped in Sesshomaru's direction.

Sesshomaru glanced between them. "…What?"

A small smile crept onto Kagome's face and she nodded. "Very well. I guess I'm still not used to… anyway. What would you like to know?"

A nonchalant hand waved in the air. "Whatever you would like to share. Perhaps start from where we last spoke?"

Kagome let out a slow gust of air. "Wow… that was so long ago… Well, you were the last person we spoke to before coming here. We went through the well and… Inuyasha tested it, to make sure it was closed. Of course, it was, so we went to the house."

Kagome paused, as if caught off guard by the difficulty of the story. Sensing his mate's struggle way before she stopped speaking, Inuyasha quietly continued the story.

"The door was unlocked so we let ourselves in. No one was home so we started looking around for a note or something and found it in Kagome's mom's room on the bed. It basically said that she was in Maizuru Hospital and that Souta was staying with friends. But the note looked old so we ran out to the hospital to see what the deal was."

"I knew something was wrong," Kagome whispered, staring at the table. "I knew… I just knew it…"

Inuyasha's frown deepened. He reached for Kagome's hand and gently squeezed, trying to sooth his troubled mate.

"When we got there, we asked for her room and they pointed us to the oncology ward…"

Sesshomaru gave a small gasp. "…Cancer?"

Inuyasha nodded, accepting the sympathetic look instead of his wife, who still stared into the wood grains of the table. "Breast cancer," he mumbled.

"I am truly sorry," Sesshomaru said after a small silence. "Souta has never told me how his mother died. That must have been hard on you all."

Souta seemed to slump further into his chair than possible.

"She…" Kagome whispered, dainty fingers tightening around Inuyasha's much larger hands. "She was so happy to see me. But, I felt like such a… miserably selfish daughter. It had been a year and a half since I had been home."

"Kagome, you know you couldn't have helped that," Inuyasha insisted. "We hadn't even been back to Keade's village until right before the final battle, and only for an hour or so. There was no time-"

Kagome nodded vigorously. "I know, I know… but, it still felt like I had neglected her. Mom and you, Souta." She looked up into an uncomfortable Souta's eyes. "After grandpa died I know it must have been hard on the two of you, and I should have fought harder to come home. I should have been there for you."

Souta face scrunched in pain. "Damn it, Kagome… that's not…"

He struggled with his words and Hitomi rubbed his arm soothingly. The occupants in the room said nothing, silently encouraging him to continue.

"I… we… yeah, we went through some stuff. It hurt mom a lot when grandpa died, but she tried to pick up and move on, ya know? She was holding in her pain… I… well, I didn't know what to think. I was still a kid, sort of. Grandpa was gone, you were gone, and mom was trying to smile all the time when all she wanted to do was cry.

But, it wasn't your fault, Kagome! I know that now, even if I didn't realize it at the time. You always found a way to come home, even when it made Inuyasha mad! I was just so… _angry_. Almost everyone in my life was gone, and the only one left was emotionally unstable. I had no one to talk to; all my friends were avoiding me because they didn't know how to handle dealing with me anymore. And honestly… I thought you were dead, Kagome."

Kagome gasped. "Oh… Souta…"

"You… you said you were coming back in a couple weeks, but you never did. For a little while, me and mom just thought you got caught up, ya know? But… after a few weeks, mom got really worried. We both did. But, she would keep smiling," he continued, bitterly. "Trying to act like everything was okay. She would always leave notes when we left the house like she expected you to come back and read them. When you didn't come back, she would keep them, put them in a box she kept by the door. I would have to look at those stupid letters every time I left the house!

"One day… I just… I got so angry. I was leaving for school and I saw the letters just… sitting there, taunting me…" Souta fists clenched as he recalled the memory, a scowl forming on his face. A soft hand travelled from his arm to his fist, and he glanced up at the timid girl, whose concerned eyes made him glance around the room. He realized everyone was looking at him with a similar expression, and he blushed.

"I'm sorry," he said, sheepishly. "I'm fine, really. I've gotten past a lot of this. Just didn't know it would still affect me this much…"

Suddenly Inuyasha, whom Souta didn't know left the table, came back with a roll of toilet paper. He handed it to Kagome, and Souta realized that she was in tears.

Alarmed, he said, "Kagome, I'm sorry! Do you want me to stop?"

Wiping tears, Kagome shook her head vigorously. "No," she said, her voice shaky, but final. "Please keep going. I need to hear this."

Slowly and uncertainly, Souta nodded. "Okay… so… the letters." He sighed. "I got mad because she was keeping them and acting like everything was normal. So… I tore them up and went to school."

"O-oh, Souta…" Kagome whispered.

"It was stupid and childish and mom was devastated. But, instead of getting mad at me she just… shut down. It was like all the sadness, all the depression she was supposed to be feeling came full force. She wouldn't look at me, talk to me… she never left her room some days. Then I came home one day and she was getting ready to leave. I asked her where she was going, and after weeks of her not speaking to me, she says, 'I have cancer,' and just walks out the door…"

Souta took a deep breath, trying to steady his erratic thoughts. A hint of the emotion he felt in that moment came crashing in on him, and it was a bit harder to breathe.

"Of course, when she said that, I ran and jumped in the car before she could drive away. Apparently she had been leaving the house, because the doctor was talking to her about her treatment options. Whenever I tried to ask questions, she would shush me and tell him to go on, like… like it was none of my business of something.

"We had a fight that night. I mean a real screaming match. It felt… amazing. She was… she was mom again that night. You know, when she got really mad? I didn't want to tell her I was enjoying myself, but I think she figured it out… we made up and she said she would stop ignoring me and be there for me. That's all I wanted, for her to pay attention to me. I mean, I was 13!

"So, for a few months, it was me and her, all the time. She was there for me with everything. But, the chemo… it took a lot out of her. And, I didn't know it at the time, but she was using the money from grandpa's life insurance to pay for everything. She kept saying she would be cured before the money ran out, but… I think she was just saying that for me. I think she knew she didn't have enough money to cure it, and when she stopped going to chemotherapy I just… I just knew I was going to lose her."

Souta stopped there, trying to take a deep breath. He cleared his scratchy throat, and when he was brave enough to look up at the sorrowful faces at the table, he asked, "Could I get a glass of water?"

Kagome immediately leapt from her chair. "I got it," she said, sharply. Inuyasha jumped up and followed her over to the sink as if he was afraid she wouldn't make it.

Souta felt something nudge his cheek, and he realized it was Hitomi's nose. She shifted and whispered in his ear, "I'm so proud of you."

Souta smiled genuinely. He gazed at his little angel, his savior. The girl he met as a child who had helped him survive the toughest moments of his teenage years. The girl without whom his life would have turned out completely differently.

Or not at all.

He twisted and kissed her blushing, freckled cheek, then whispered, "Thank you, Hitomi-chan. For everything."

* * *

He sat on the rooftop, gazing lazily, but somehow regally from atop the stable. People bustled by, carrying out chores, chatting amongst themselves, nodding or waving whenever they spotted him.

And, he was considerably easy to spot, especially in this part of town where mostly common townspeople lived in their inexpensive clothes and rough appearance. His elegant kimono and brilliant colors made him a bit of an attention grabber.

It didn't hurt that he had at least three statues of him in the general vicinity.

A smirk formed his slightly aged face. "It is not nice to sneak up on your brother, Noriko. You are terrible at it and you would force me to humiliate you. You know that is not in my character."

"Of course, Noboru-nii-chan," she said, sarcasm pouring from every word. "You are the picture of a saint."

She came into his peripheral vision on his left, similar silk garb and colors catching his eye, equally-long red hair flowing in the soft breeze. "Our people seem to think so, dear sister. I hear them speak of us when I travel throughout the villages and towns, something you should do much more often, by the way. They say, 'Oh, Noboru-sama it the most gracious, patient, caring leader we could ever ask for! And, Noriko-same, she… well, she… is very angry all of the time-'"

One sharp claw swiped a few strands of hair less than an inch from his cheek. "I am not angry all the time, you idiot! They said no such thing; stopping making up such blasphemous lies about our people!"

His emerald eyes met hers, mischief swirling dangerously in them. "They say, 'Those two may look similar, but he is a far better leader than anyone else we have had in the past, or _have_ in the present."

Noriko seemed to sense the natural kitsune deviousness his taunts were steering towards, and she straightened. "We do not have time to spar, brother, which I am aware you are trying to motivate me to do. I have important news from the National Security Council's daily report."

Noboru sobered, straightening as well. "I see… please, go no."

Noriko tucked her hands into her billowing sleeves, excitement dancing across her features while somehow still appearing calm. "There were 3 reports today of demons found. One killed, a lesser demon."

"Another of the oni boars trying to blend in with the regular ones?" Noboru said solemnly. Lesser demons were still demons.

Noriko nodded. "It was attacking homes, and when it seemed stronger and faster than the herd it was with, a hunter called the council to track it down. Another report of a centipede colony that was discovered in the wilderness as well. A female's off-spring were being seen away from her nest, and someone called it in. They were brought back to the nest. None were harmed. And, the last report was… rather bizarre."

A playful scowl formed on Noboru's lips. "Get on with it!"

Noriko's fanged grin teased him. "In a moment, patient, gracious, and caring leader," she mocked. "A man called the Security Council about someone he knew that his girlfriend said was a demon."

Noboru frowned. "Another of those?"

"It sounded that way, yes. But her description of him… it was a very detailed description of a dog demon."

Carrot-red eyebrows shot up into the brother's bangs. "A… a full inu-youkai?"

Noriko waved a hand. "Of course not, brother. You know all of those are accounted for."

"Right," Noboru said, sighing, turning to gaze at the horizon. "So… what was his description?"

A wider grin over-took the sister's face. "Fangs, silver hair, doggish ears… and golden eyes."

Noboru's head spun back to his sister, eyes even wider. "That… that is…"

"A perfect description of a first generation inu-hanyou, yes, I know brother. There are only two living inu-youkai with blood pure enough to create such an off-spring, and we both know those two are not having children anytime soon. That means-"

"An inu-hanyou from 'the time before,'" Noboru whispered in amazement. "Unheard of… could he be…?"

"He may be, brother… The council has not yet apprehended him. They are giving us time to decide whether we will speak with him first, since it has it has been long since another humanoid youkai has been discovered."

"Well," Noboru said, a matching grin overcoming his face as well. "What do you want to do, sister?"

She tilted her head for a moment, considering his question. Then, she said, "Let the council examine him. People outside Seikatsu-mura are still very unaware of what the council does to demons. Let us wait, see how he will react to the stress. If he is as strong as we think he is, he should be able to withstand their tests."

Noboru nodded with finality. "Then, it shall be done."

* * *

I know you guys keep wondering: Why don't they tell Sesshomaru about Mei?! The truth is, they're momentarily forgotten. They've just had the giant surprise of two people they never thought they would see at their doorstep, though one more than the other. Don't worry, that will addressed very soon.

I hope you enjoyed all the story-telling. Not much action, but that is coming soon, believe me. This chapter ran away from me several times, then forced me at gun point to make it longer. I hope all the info was absorbed.

Shout out to **fanficnewbiee **for guessing the meaning of Nama Yurushi! I didn't forget about you! Like I said, I choose all my Japanese names on purpose.

Shout out also to the jerk who reviewed RawFor and said it was the worse ending ever. You're smart; it wasn't an ending. It was a transition into this awesome story. If you figured it out, I hope you enjoy!

Has anyone figured out who Hitomi is yet? Only the real Inuyasha fans know who this girl is... let me know in your review if you know (or cheated and looked it up!)

And, please review. A great review really does make my day. A mean one makes it even better.


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